The present disclosure relates to instruments with adjustable handles. While the present disclosure is made in the context of laparoscopic instruments for the purposes of illustrating the concepts of the design, it is contemplated that the present design and/or variations thereof may be suited to other types of surgical instruments, such as arthroscopic, endoscopic, orthopedic, neurologic, cardiologic, suture passing, stapling, or minimally invasive instruments, among others. Furthermore, the principles embodied in the present disclosure may be applicable outside the fields of surgery or medical devices.
Laparoscopy is an established field of surgery, but opportunities remain for improvement to the instruments. Existing laparoscopic instruments may present significant challenges to a surgeon. For example, the design of laparoscopic instruments may force a surgeon to place his hands, arms, and/or body in non-ergonomic, uncomfortable, and sometimes physically harmful positions. Articulated instrument tips have been introduced. In at least some of these designs, the handle position and/or orientation may be altered in order to reposition and/or reorient the end effector. However, the handle position and/or orientation tends to be dependent on, or tied to, the end effector position and/or orientation.
There is a need for instrument designs that improve the ergonomics of the instruments in the user's hands. There is a need for instrument designs in which the handle position and/or orientation is independent of the end effector position and/or orientation. There is a need for instrument designs in which the user may adjust the instrument to keep the hands, arms, and/or body in an ergonomically appropriate or physiologically neutral position while positioning and/or orienting the end effector, or a working shaft of the instrument, to perform a procedure. There is also a need for instruments that reduce or eliminate the need to switch between different handle styles in the course of a procedure.